UK Covid deaths up by 174 in biggest rise since March as 30,838 cases recorded

Covid cases across the UK have risen by 30,838 with a further 174 lives lost to the virus in the last 24 hours.

It comes as a total of 571 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending August 13 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics - up 8% on the previous week.

It is the highest total since 719 deaths in the week to March 26.

Around one in 18 deaths registered in the week to August 13 (5.5 percent) mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.

Last week there were 527 fatalities linked to the virus.

The death toll is up from 218 as of a month ago in the week to July 16.

It comes as a total of 571 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending August 13 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate (Adam Gerrard / Sunday Mirror)

The figures also show some 57 care home resident deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales were registered in the week to August 13, up from 50 the previous week.

In total, 42,805 care home residents in England and Wales have had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate since the pandemic began.

Around one in 18 deaths registered in the week to August 13 (5.5 percent) mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate (Adam Gerrard / Sunday Mirror)

The ONS figures cover deaths of care home residents in all settings, not just in care homes.

A total of 156,958 deaths have occurred in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, the ONS said.

The highest number on a single day was 1,484 on January 19.

Long lines forming outside a pop-up vaccine centre (PA)

During the first wave of the virus, the daily toll peaked at 1,461 on April 8 2020.

The average time from death to registration has increased slightly in recent weeks because of multiple pressures on local registration services as they return to delivering their full range of duties following reduced services during the coronavirus pandemic.

This is in addition to working through a backlog of birth registrations that were delayed, and changes to marriage and immigration law.

It comes after an expert warned a coronavirus "super variant" worse than Covid-19 could emerge next year and every unvaccinated person is a potential super-spreader.

Immunologist Professor Doctor Sai Reddy, of the federal technology institute ETH Zurich, said a combination of existing strains could result in a new and more dangerous phase of the pandemic.